MONTREAL -- It didn't take long for Anthony Calvillo to decide to come back for another season with the Montreal Alouettes.

Calvillo, who's coming off a record-breaking campaign, announced Monday that he will be back for a 15th season with the Alouettes.

"I always thought I'd come back, I just wanted to make sure I was 100 per cent certain," Calvillo said. "After we lost the East Division semifinal, it was hard for me to say if I'd come back.

"It was the first time I'd ever thought about retirement."

The 39-year-old Los Angeles native said he discussed it with his wife Alexia when he returned from the CFL awards ceremony during Grey Cup week in Vancouver. He then met last week with team owner Robert Wetenhall to tell him about his decision.

Calvillo came up short in the CFL Outstanding Player award voting to B.C. Lions quarterback Travis Lulay despite leading the league in passing yards with 5,251. Calvillo and Lulay both had 12 touchdown passes while the Montreal veteran threw only eight interceptions -- the lowest among CFL starters.

Calvillo made history three times this past season -- becoming the CFL's all-time leader in touchdown passes and completions before being crowned the league's all-time leading passer.

Despite his age, he was able to start all 18 regular-season games as well as the semifinal loss to Hamilton. He suffered a concussion in mid-season, but the team had a bye week and he was able to return for the next game.

"I'm pretty happy with my season," he said. "I'm still playing at a high level and I see next season as no different. I'll be ready."

However, he found it took longer to recover from the bumps and bruises he got from playing and said his trainer Scott Suter would design a new off-season program to help fix that problem for 2012.

He has one year left on his contract and then will decide again whether to come back for a 20th CFL season.

After Montreal was eliminated, Calvillo said he would accept playing less to help the Alouettes develop his successor, much as he gathered experience in his first two seasons in Montreal as a backup to Tracy Ham.

He's still willing to do that, but backtracked a little, saying he isn't sure how it will take shape. Coach Marc Trestman will no doubt want his starter to play as many games as possible.

"It's the coach's decision and I haven't talked to Marc about it yet," he said. "If they want a bigger package for (backup Adrian McPherson) I'm open to that.

"But I can't just turn off a switch and not play a game. Once I do that, I know it's when I shouldn't be playing anymore. I won't be able to function that way."

Calvillo broke into the CFL out of Utah State with the defunct Las Vegas Posse in 1994. He spent three seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before deciding he needed to learn the position as an understudy on a winning team and signed with Montreal in 1998.

He took over as the full-time starter in 2000 and has since won three Grey Cups and three Outstanding Player awards.

Calvillo said he was excited for former CFL quarterback Marcus Brady, who the Alouettes promoted to offensive co-ordinator this week, and had mixed emotions about former offensive co-ordinator Scott Milanovich's decision to become head coach of the Toronto Argonauts.

"I wanted him to stay, but he is a friend and I'm excited he got the opportunity to be a head coach," said Calvillo. "So I'm happy and sad because we had a lot of great times in Montreal."

With the news of Anthony Calvillo's full return backup QB Adrian McPherson has asked the Alouette organization and got the permission to negotiate his own transaction. Right now Toronto is on top of the list followed by Hamilton.

Alouette fans/critics think Calvillo cannot do a full 18-game season and wanted McPherson to relieve some pressure of 5-6 games in mid-season.